Letters of Recommendation

Although there are no requirements as to who you ask to write your reference letters, choose the following format to maximize your application's credibility:

1 from an educator (university professor)
1 from an employer (lab supervisor, job manager)
1 from a respected member of the community (volunteer supervisor)

HOWEVER it is much more important that the people who write your reference letters know you well and for more than a few months. This is by far the most important consideration. Once this is fulfilled, then follow the recommendation above.

University of Torornto: less than 60% of the courses correspond to the year of study

14) Will my application be affected if less than 60% of my course load corresponds with my year of study? Will it even be considered?
Having less than 60% of the courses correspond to the year of study will not invalidate the application. The main requirement of the Admissions Office is that a candidate is fulfilling their degree requirements. Although no preference is given to program of study, a student’s choices within their given program may be used as an evaluation factor. Examples of aspects examined may be one or all of the following (as applicable):

· Progression from lower level of courses to more advanced ones

· Progression from a general course of study to a more specialized one

· Pursuing an interest in a field of study outside the chosen major

If a candidate falls below the 60% guideline due to the degree requirements of their particular program they will not be penalized in the admissions process.

The Medical School Analogy

In front you is a big white screen. The kind in the large lecture halls used my projectors. This represents all the knowledge you will come across in medical school. You see that little black dot? That tiny pixel on the big white screen that is barely visible. That is the amount of medical knowledge that you will remember after medical school.

Medical school is more of a place where you are familiarized with medical knowledge so that once you encounter it clinically, you can relate to it and solidify your knowledge.

Credits to the professor who made me aware of this.

What is medical school like at ottawa u

From my limited experience, 9-12pm each day of lectures, labs and such. Thats right, only 3 hours of class. The rest of the day is spent studying by yourself and shadowing physicians. Oh, and don't forget partying like you've never partied before. Pretty sweet life, all you have to do is digest a tremendous amount of medical school material. No biggy.

Univeristy of Ottawa Post-interview Evaluation (marking)

At the University of Ottawa, a mark out of 4 is given for the interview performance. There is also a mark out of 4 for your academic status (GPA). The sum of these two marks is what is considered after the interview for ranking. The highest mark is offered a seat first, followed by the next highest mark. This continues until all the seats are full and the waiting lists are full.

Best way to improve your verbal score

The Economist. One of the best magazines out there. It is literally a massive compilation of sample verbal passages. The writing style, vocabulary and length of many articles are similar to the actual test passages. Best of all, you can get a few months of subscription free, just google it.

Good luck to all

Doctor (Physician) Salaries – Not as High as You Think

Click the title. This is an excellent post on a blog I found. The important information is in the comments. Try to read all or most of them. It really puts things into perspective.

Enjoy

Mcgill MD-MBA

I have spoke to a few students currently in this program. If you are considering this, be warned, the workload is VERY VERY Heavy. If you have never taken business classes in university and plan to just breeze through the first year of management classes, think again. Students do not get any summers off and work hard day in and day (much more than the regular curriculum). In the end, you get your MD/MBA. A better option would be to do the MD program and focus hard on that. Remember that you will be a doctor first and for most. There is always time later to take 2 years off to complete an MD/MBA.

Caribbean Schools: Your Views

Make sure to comment your views.
Basically, I see Caribbean schools as a money pit. The tuition is just as high as the States, the probability of practicing in Canada is low, and very few graduates can obtain good residencies in the States.

Bottom line, stay in Canada, love Canada, embrace our free and amazing country.

Who's decision was medical school?

One thing I have found that can greatly detriment your application and your chances of getting in is: Who's decision was medical school?
For many (or most) applicants, medical school was a decision collectively made by ourselves, our parents and societies preconceived notion that smart students should pursue medicine.
Well sorry to break it to you but the decision to go to medical school NEEDS to become your decision 100%. Think of those nights when you are studying and thinking to yourself, why am I doing all this. This is when you know you are not cognitively mature or ready for medicine. A successful applicant, I view, is one who does not question the requirements, but rather completes them with grace and a cool, calm and collected attitude. Think of it this way. You will stress MUCH LESS if you realize that your are a competitive applicant because you have the right mindset to complete the requirements for medical school, and have fun at it at the same time.

Medical School Application Facts

This website contains amazing facts you wish you knew before submitting your application.

Grades (GPA) Conversion Table 2010

This table allows you to convert the native marking system of your current Canadian University to the /4.0 marking system used by medical schools in Ontario.

Admission Requirements of Canadian Faculties of Medicine (2010)

This file tells you about all the details for Canadian Medical schools. It includes percentages and number of applicants and admissions, prerequisites, gpa cutoffs number of seats, descriptions of medical school and much more.. BETTER YET, IT IS FREE AND RELIABLE

Enjoy

Is my GPA (grades) high enough?

The higher the better. However, many people are rejected with 3.98 and many are accepted with just 3.6. If medicine is what you want to do, never give up.

How many medical school to apply to?

At first sight, it might be tempting to apply to as many schools as possible and hope for the best... back move. Its much better to have 5 solid applications rather then 10 so so applications. Remember that a good application takes approximately 20 hours to complete!! Choose the schools which you have the greatest chance of getting in. From there, work on each application by alternating, rather than fixating on one application until it's done. This way, all applications will be at the same level of completion.

The Interview

So now you've got an interview. Here are some tips:

-Cheaper flight rates are found when you book early.
-Ask to stay with people in that city that you know rather than booking a hotel. (trust me you save a ton)
-Ask the medical school if they have a place to stay or if the residence at the school provides rooms at a discounted rate.
-Talk with medical students that already go to that school for advice and hints.
-Ask others that have had an interview at that school for hints and advice.
-Know the school well. Check on their website and make sure you know as much as possible. If something is peculiar, remember it and ask during the interview. This will show that you are keen to attend this school.
-Don't stress. The first sight of stress during or before the interview will greatly detriment your application. Remember that you already have a back up plan; You want to go to medicine but if it doesn't work out, you can pursue your great back up plan and reapply next year.
-Be as friendly as possible to everyone.
-Be yourself. That is.. be your out going self. The part of you that everyone loves.
-Bolster your strengths, downplay your weaknesses
-Be early to the interview by 20 minutes
-Wear conservative professional attire. There is no need to bring your pimp suit to an interview.
-As much as you think one question in the interview will ruin the entire interview, it won't. The impression you leave is more important then what you said.

-Enjoy the experience.. after all, YOU were chosen for the interview over many other applicants. So be confident in yourself and your accomplishments. After you believe in yourself, the interview will be a walk in the park

Friends Network

Building a strong friends network during the first month of university is imperative. Associating with the right people, while minimizing contact with others can have a huge impact on your chances of getting into med school. Find friends that are studious, smart, out going, friendly and most importantly, MOTIVATED. It will surprise you how much you will accomplish just by associating with the right people. Sure, be friends with people in rez, but make sure not to hang out with them all the time. Rez is the worst place for academic success and will greatly detriment your changes of success later on. From my experience, every friend I had in rez would constitute as an alcoholic, chronic marijuana smoker and typical university failure, receiving C+ at best. One heavy night of drinking wastes about 3 days.. but more on that later

Social life during Undergrad

It might be tempting to studying all day and all night during undergrad but one learns a lot from hanging out with friends. Being social will relieve stress, allow you to have fun and most importantly build your social skills. After all, becoming a physician is part science, part art, and part social science. You need to be able to get along with a multitude of individuals during your clinical hours so might as well start developing those skills now.

The single most important item on your application: GPA

Focus on A and A+. Anything below that will severely detriment your grade. Its better to get three A marks rather than one A-. Trust me, first year marks matter as much as the others.

How To Email Potential Research Profs

If you are trying to get a research job, start early. (but not too early) Profs and scientists are writing NSERC scholarships until about November. Around mid November start researching potential profs. Realistically, this will be your summer job for 4 months so make sure you will enjoy what you will are doing. If the work a prof is doing interests you, then email him or her. The email is the most important part. Ask him or her when he or she will be taking summer students. Explain your interest, what you are studying and when you can meet with him or her to discuss possibilities further. If he or she replies with an opening, great. During the meeting is when you want to sell yourself, possibly give him or her your transcript and CV. If he or she says that there are no opening then ask when he or she will have any opening or if he or she knowns any other openings

The real mark of a good physician is careful listening, pure observation and acting upon clinical signs and symptoms.

Extracurriculars

Although grades are important, extracurriculars can be even more important. The decision we have now is whether to volunteer at a few places for an extended period or few places for short amount of period.

My advice: Stick with 1 long term commitment and have 4 short term commitments at all times. That way, you show that you are committed while still being able to fill the spots of the autobiographical sketch.

ALL CANADIAN MEDSCHOOLS ARE THE SAME

Unlike the States where the school that you attend for med school directly effects your residency and subsequently where you end up working for the rest of your life, a medical degree from Western is the same as a medical degree from McGill.
The only limiting factor might be where you do your residency will be, in general, close to where you attended medical school. However, after the residency, there are virtually no barriers to working in any part of Canada.

START YOUR APPLICATION ASAP

I applied this year; My biggest problem? I started the application too late. Start at least 3 months before the due date. This will give you time to write your essays, gathers all your 48 or so references for the autobiographical sketch, and allow time for others to review your applications.

ALWAYS GET 3 PEOPLE TO REVIEW YOUR ESSAYS.
1 med student, 1 teacher, 1 friend.

For high school students: What University program to choose for Premed

Real easy:
- choose something you like
- something you can get good marks in
- something that provides you with back up options.

Don't just assume science is the right premed degree. Taking the prerequisites in science may be just enough science to have a sound background for medicine. Business is an excellent option, as is economics. You will be surprised about how little many physicians know about how to run a business, business terminology, investing, etc. In the end, you will either own a clinic, work in a clinic or work in a hospital. All these positions require some business sense to make efficient use of public and personal funds.

A wealth of knowledge

www.premed101.com

Ontario Medschool FAQ

http://www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/omsas-answers.html

Ontario Applications

http://www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/
all the info for applying to ontario medical schools

Why Research?

Research provides three things:
- the ability to apply your premedical schooling to the real world
- work experience in a lab which can be applied to lab classes you take in the future
- an insight into why you chosen medical school instead of research

Don't get me wrong; research is an invaluable tool to medicine. Without medical, pharmaceutical, psychological and biological research, medicine would be merely a guessing game.

Research training is an invaluable tool to up and coming physicians since it allows one to look at medicine from a scientist's point of view simply a science point of view.

My First Post!!!!!

So lets get started; I made this blog for all those med school hopefuls who want some advice, insight into the whole med school process. I'm in 3rd year at Ottawa U. I've applied to Ottawa this year and will apply again next year. I'll post up any updates of my experience on here. Feel free to ask questions.